Temperature indicating means



May 6, 1969 Filed MW. 8, 1967 w. A. JAMISON ETAL TEMPERATURE INDICATING MEANS INVENTORS ARNER. A. .TAMlsoN Queen-r M. DH-CHER.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,442,249 TEMPERATURE INDICATING MEANS Warner A. Jamison and Robert M. Pilcher, Roanoke, Va., assignors to Standard Pressed Steel Co., Jenldntown, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 681,498 Int. Cl. G011: 1/02 U.S. Cl. 116-1145 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a temperature indicating means and more particularly to a means for indicating a predetermined temperature of at least one member of two or more members secured together by a fastening device.

In conventional railway rolling stock, the railway car bodies commonly are mounted on a pair of car truck units. Generally, each car truck unit includes a pair of longitudinally spaced wheeled axles having exteriorly projecting journal portions, a pair of laterally spaced side frames mounted on longitudinally aligned journal portions, and a transversely disposed bolster member having the end portions thereof supported within the side frames. Usually, the railway car body is supported on the intermediate portion of the bolster member and the end portions of the bolster member extend into openings in the side frames and are supported therein on springs seated on the bottom of the openings. The end portions of the bolster member are adapted to ride vertically in the openings in the side frames to cushion vertical loads and generally cooperate with snubbing devices to dampen undesirable .oscillations.

The side frames of the car trucks usually are seated on hearing units mounted on the laterally projecting journals. In the prior art, such journal bearings have consisted of various types, the most common of which have consisted either of solid friction bearings or roller bearings. In either such type of bearing unit, however, one of the most serious problems encountered in the operation thereof has been overheating, a condition which, if permitted to continue undetected, often results in bearing failure.

It has been desirable in the railroad industry to provide a means for readily detecting the overheating of journal bearings. In the prior art, there have been developed numerous types of devices for detecting overheating of journal bearings. It has been found, however, that none of the detection devices of the prior art have been entirely satisfactory for use with roller hearings to detect overheating, from the point of view of effective performance and economy.

Accordingly, the principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel temperature detection means.

Another object of the present invention is to provide in a device for fastening at least a pair of members together, novel means for indicating a predetermined temperature of at least one of the fastened members.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel temperature detection means for a journal bearing.

A still'further object of the present invention is to pro vide a novel heat detection means for railroad journal bearings.

Another object of the present invention is to provide novel means for indicating overheating of roller bearings utilized in conventional railway journal bearing units.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel temperature detection means suitable for use in a railroad journal bearing for indicating overheating, which is simple in construction, easy to install, effective in performance and economical to manufacture and install.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those persons skilled in the art to which the presnt invention pertains, from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompinying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a railway car truck in which an embodiment of the present invention is installed;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a journal and roller bearing of the car truck shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating the embodiment of the invention installed therein;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, illustrating the components thereof in exploded relation;

FIGURE 4 is a vrtical cross-sectional view of the embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to the view of FIGURE 4, illustrating the embodiment in a sequential condition;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective View of another embodiment of the invention, illustrating the components thereof in exploded relation; and

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 6.

Briefly described, the present invention relates in a device for fastening at least a pair of members together, means for indicating a predetermined temperature of at least one of the fastened members generally comprising the fastener having a recess in an exterior surface thereof and a fusible element disposed in the recess in heat transfer relation with the fastened member whose temperature is to be detected, having a melting point sufficient to cause the element to melt and flow out of the recess when the fastened member is heated to the predetermined temperature whereby the overheated condition of the member can be detected by visual inspection. Preferably, the fastening device is formed of a heat conducting material and is disposed in heat transfer relation with the fastened member whose temperature is to be detected, and the fusible element. In addition, the fusible element can bepress fit into the recess, can be adhesively secured in the recess, or can be mounted within a holder element which is press fit into the recess.

Referring to FIGURES 1 through 5, there is illustrated an embodiment of the invention. FIGURE 1 illustrates a railway car truck including a pair of longitudinally spaced wheeled axles 10, 10 having laterally projecting journal portions 11, tapered type roller bearings 12 mounted on the journal portions, a pair of laterally spaced side frames 13, 13 mounted on the bearing units 12 and a transversely disposed bolster member '14 having the end portions thereof extending into openings 15, 15 in the side frames andmountedonspring units 16, 16 seated on the bottom of. theopenings 15, .15..

As best illustrated in FIGURE 2, the roller bearing unit 12 is substantially conventional in construction for the tapered type and is provided with an outer cone and roller assembly 17 and an inner cone and roller assembly 18, mounted on the journal 11 and separated by a cone spacer 19. A bearing cup 20 is rotatably mounted on the roller bearings which supports the side frame 13 mounted thereon..Mounted:on1the.inner end ofithe journal:11'is a backing ring 21; Aseal 22.is providedbetween the backing: Ting 21 and the bearing cup 20 to prevent the entry of foreign matter between'thebearing cup and the-inner cone androller assembly. Theseal 22' is securedto the-bearing cup 20 and engages a seal wear ring 23 mounted'on the inner end-of the journal 11' between'the'inner cone and roller-assembly 18; and:the backingring 21';

A seal-wear ring 24 ismounted onthe'outer end of the journal 11' and is .ret-ainediin position by means of an axle end-cap 25 maintained in position by means of a-plurality of threaded fasteners 26, one of which embodies-the presentinvention as will later bedescribed. The threaded: fasteners 26 extendthrough openings 27 in the end cap 25 and are threadedinto threaded openings inthe end of the journal 11. Thethreaded fasteners-26are retained in position bymeans of a. locking 'plate 28. Foreign matter is preventedzfrom entering between'the bearing cup 20, and? the outer cone and roller assembly 17 by meansof a seal- 29. securedto thebearingcup 20 and engaging. theseal wear. ring 24.

Referring to FIGURES 3 through 5 of the drawings, there.- is illustrated-a threaded. fastener. 26.embodying the presentdnvention. The.fastener.26*is provided with a head. portion.30 and an integral. threaded. shank portion-31, consisting of a heat conducting material. The fastener .is provided withan axially disposed cylindrical bore'32. extending fromthe exterior. flat surface. 3310f the. head por-- tion.30, through the head portion 30. and into the shank. portion 31'. Inserted in the outer end ofthe bore 32 is a cylindrical sleeve element 34 which is 'formed of. a heat conducting material and is, press fit into the axial bore 32 in heat transfer relation with the body of the fastener. A..cylindrically configured'fusible element 35 is mounted in the sleeve element 34 and extends into the axial bore 32 the entire length thereof. The fusible element 35 is formed from. a material having a melting. point corresponding to a'predetermined temperature ofthe bearing unit 12 which is to be detected.

With the threaded fastener 26. as illustrated in FIG- UES 3'through 5 threaded into the threaded openings in the journal 11, whenever the bearing unit. 12 overheats and the'temperature exceeds a critical temperature,,the heat from the-bearing unit is transmitted through the journal 11 to the fastener 26 to melt the fusibleelement 35 and cause it toflow outwardly as illustrated in FIG- URES. The melting and flow of the fusible material 35 out of'the axial bore 32 thereby permits detection of, the overheating of the roller bearing unit 12 merely by visual inspection.

The above described embodiment of the invention pro-. vides an eifective and economical method of detecting overheating of a -conventional railway roller bearing, in that a minimum of modification-is required to the standard type of roller bearing unit. The detection means of the present invention can be installedin a conventional railway roller bearing unit merely by removing a standard conventional threaded fastener 26 as shown in FIG- URE. 2 andlreplacing the standardfastener with a type embodying the. invention as illustrated in FIGURES 3 through'5. No further modification to the roller bearing unit or the journal 11 is required. Upon repair or replacement of the defective ormalfunctioning roller bearing unit 12, the detection means can be restored merely by inserting a new fastener of the type illustrated in FIG- URES 3 through 5. The spent detection-fastener can be recovered and reworked by removing the fused material 4.- and providing a new preformed fusible element 35, for subsequent additional service.

FIGURES 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the invention. This embodiment consists of a threaded fastener having a head portion 36 and a threaded shank portion 37. This embodiment also includes an axially disposed cylindrical recess or bore 38 which extends from the outer surface 39 into the head portion 36. Mounted within the recess or bore 38 is a fusible element 40 which is cemented or otherwise adhesively secured to the side walls of the bore by an adhesive 41, as best illustrated in FIGURE 7. The embodiment as illustrated inFIGURES 6 and 7, operates in the same manner as the embodiment shown in FIGURES 3 through 4. With the fastener threadedly mounted in the threaded openings provided in the end of the journal 11', whenever the roller bearing unit 20 becomes overheated, heat is transferred through the journal 11 and the threaded shank portion 37 of the fastener, to melt the fusible element 40 and cause it to flow out of the'recess orbore 38, wherebytheoverheating condition of the roller bearing 12 carrbe detectedupon visual inspection of the threaded fastener.

The fusible elements utilizedin the-invention can be constructed of any suitable fusible material having a melting point corresponding to the critical operating. tempera ture of the associated roller bearing unit. Due to possible. heat loss in the transfer of heat from the roller bearing. unit 12 to the fusible element,. a materialtfor the fusingelement, having a melting point lower than the critical temperature of the roller bearing unit may be required to compensate for such heat loss. It will be appreciated however, that the appropriate type of material for the fusing elements can be determined through testing, so

that the melting; of' the fusible element willcorrespond to the desired critical temperature of theroller bearinguntil sought to'be'detected;

From the foregoingdetaileddescription-it will be-evident that there are a number of changes; adaptations and-modifications of the present invention which come within the province of thoseskilled-inthe art: However, it is intended" that all such variations not departing from the spirit of the invention be considered'aswithin-thescope-thereof as limited solely by the appended'claims.

We claim:

1. A device for fastening-a pair of' members together,

adapted for detecting a predeterminedtemperature'of atleast one of said members, comprising a body consisting of a heat conducting;materialhaving an enlarged head section and-a threaded shank section insertable-inaligned openings insaid pair of members, said head-section having a recess and a fusibleelement disposed in said recess in heat transfer relation with said headand shank sections, having a melting point sufiicient to cause said element to melt and flow out of said recess when'said device attains said predetermined temperature.

2. A wheel supporting assembly for a railway car truck including means for detecting overheating thereof comprising, a journal,'.a roller bearing unit mounted onvsaid. journal for supporting awheelthereon, anend cap for retaining said roller bearing unit onsaid journal and a plu-. rality of threaded fasteners securing saidendcap'to said journaland said end cap in locking engagement'with said roller bearing unit, saidthreaded fasteners having enlarged head sections engageable with said: end cap-andthreaded shank portions'extending through openings in said end cap and received in threaded openings disposed about the periphery of said journal in heat transfer relation to said roller bearing unit, the head section of-at leastone of said threaded fasteners having a recess and a-fusible element disposed in said recess in heat transfer relation with said journal, having a melting point sufficient to cause said element to melt and flow out of said recess when said roller bearing unit becomes heatedto' a predetermined temperature and the. heat generated by said roller. bearing fastener.

6 unit is conducted through said journal to said threaded 2,503,593 4/1950 Pearce et a1, 73-358 2,543,161 2/1951 Faus 116-1145 References Cited glgegi 246 169 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 aug man 8/ 1915 Dodson 116-1145 LOUIS I. CAPOZI, Primary Examiner. 8/1917 Ray et a1 116-1145 6/1940 Green et a1 11-6-114.5 3/1942 Thompson. 73-358 4/1942 Hexamer 116-1145 10 11/1947 Clair. 

